Columbus Dental Society

What Columbus Dental Society does

Columbus Dental Society (CDS) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1896 and headquartered at 663 Park Meadow Rd, Suite F, Westerville, Ohio. It operates as the local component of the tripartite dental association system, sitting beneath the Ohio Dental Association and the American Dental Association, and represents nearly 80% of dentists practicing in Franklin and Madison Counties. The organization serves licensed dentists, dental students and new graduates, dental assistants and hygienists, and the general public through member services, continuing education, patient referrals, and community outreach.

The organization's product surface consists primarily of in-person and online continuing education courses that satisfy Ohio State Dental Board requirements, including a 7-Hour Dental Assisting Radiology course ($215), a 6-Hour Monitoring Nitrous Oxide Sedation course ($235), and a 2-Hour Dental Radiography Review ($68) delivered both as live lecture across multiple off-site Central Ohio venues and as an online video CE presentation. Beyond CE, CDS publishes the CDS Voice magazine, operates a community outreach program with multiple free dental care clinics serving uninsured and homeless residents (Physician's Care Connection, Faith Mission, Stowe Mission, KidSMILES), and integrates with the ADA's Find a Dentist referral platform. There is no proprietary technology stack; the platform consists of a content-managed website (columbusdentalsociety.org) and standard association management.

Revenue is generated through two main streams: annual membership dues paid by dentists (with a graduated schedule starting at $0 for first-year graduates and scaling to full dues by year four) and one-time course registration fees for continuing education programs. Corporate sponsorship from dental industry partners (Carestream Dental, Kuraray Dental, Superior Dental, Zimmerman, Boltz & Co.) provides supplemental support for events. Distribution is hybrid — direct membership enrollment for dentists, in-person and self-serve online CE for auxiliaries, and ADA-integrated patient referrals for the public. The organization is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors, employs 11–50 staff (Executive Director Michelle Janetski, Office Manager Karen Robenalt), and maintains a 130-year operating history.

Name

Columbus Dental Society

Legal name

Columbus Dental Society

Website

https://columbusdentalsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbus Dental Society is a 130-year-old nonprofit professional membership organization serving as the local ADA/ODA component for dentists in Franklin and Madison Counties, Ohio, providing continuing education, patient referrals, community outreach clinics, and advocacy to roughly 80% of local dentists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Dental Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Membership/Subscription & Direct-Pay General Dentistry Practices (HLABAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dental Assisting (EDAOAJAJ)

Keywords

• Dental continuing education
• Professional dental association
• Membership society services
• Community dental outreach
• Dental radiology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from dentists in Franklin and Madison Counties. First year out of dental school is $0, second year is 25% of full dues, third year is 50%, and fourth year is 75%.
2. Continuing Education Courses: Revenue from educational courses including 7-Hour Dental Assisting Radiology ($215), 6-Hr Monitoring Nitrous Oxide Sedation ($235), and 2-Hour Radiology Review ($68).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbus Dental Society is a nonprofit professional dental membership organization that sells annual membership to dentists in Franklin and Madison Counties and charges fees for licensed continuing education courses (dental assisting radiology, nitrous oxide monitoring, radiography review). It also provides member services such as patient dental referrals through the ADA Find a Dentist platform, advocacy, peer networking events, and free community outreach dental clinics for uninsured and homeless residents.

Product overview

Columbus Dental Society is a professional dental membership organization (not a technology product company) offering continuing education courses for dental professionals, community outreach programs providing free dental care, and member services including dental referrals. The core offerings include 7-Hour Dental Assisting Radiology, 6-Hour Monitoring Nitrous Oxide Sedation, and 2-Hour Dental Radiography Review courses, along with community outreach clinics serving underserved populations in Central Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 7-Hour Dental Assisting Radiology Course

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record.

• American Dental Association (ADA)Strategic or Co-development PartnerCDS is part of the tripartite dental association system (ADA, ODA, local component). ADA provides national representation, resources, advocacy, and the Find a Dentist platform that CDS members participate in.
• Ohio Dental Association (ODA)Strategic or Co-development PartnerCDS is the local component of ODA. ODA provides state-level advocacy, resources, and professional development. CDS membership includes automatic ODA and ADA membership.
• Ohio State University College of DentistryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with OSU dental students for Head Start program dental screening and fluoride varnish application. OSU faculty (including Bridget M. Wright) serve as presenters for CDS continuing education programs.
• Carestream Dental, LLCGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for CDS General Membership Dinner Program events, providing partial sponsorship support.
• Zimmerman, Boltz & Co.GTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for CDS Family and Friends Night with the Columbus Clippers event.
• Kuraray DentalGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner of CDS.
• Superior DentalGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner of CDS.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association: ADA is the national tripartite parent of CDS and all US local dental societies. It provides the Find a Dentist platform CDS integrates with and sets the national standards CDS members adhere to — a directly comparable professional membership model at much larger scale.
• Ohio Dental Association: ODA is the state-level parent organization of CDS, providing statewide advocacy, resources, and professional development. Membership in CDS automatically includes ODA membership, making ODA the closest structural peer and natural upstream counterpart.

Direct peers

• Greater Cleveland Dental Society: Greater Cleveland Dental Society is another Ohio local component society with the same tripartite membership structure, CE programming, and community outreach focus. It serves a comparable urban Ohio dentist population and offers a directly analogous operational model to CDS.
• Indianapolis District Dental Society: Indianapolis District Dental Society is a comparable Midwest local dental society component of the Indiana Dental Association. It mirrors CDS's structure of professional membership, continuing education, and advocacy at similar urban scale, providing a cross-state operational benchmark.
• Cincinnati Dental Society: Cincinnati Dental Society is a fellow Ohio local component society of the Ohio Dental Association. It operates the same tripartite model (ADA/ODA/CDS) and serves a comparable Ohio metro dentist population, making it the most directly comparable peer organization.
• Chicago Dental Society: CDS is one of the largest US local dental societies, organized as a component of the Illinois State Dental Society. It mirrors CDS's structure (local component society, CE programming, member benefits, advocacy) at a larger urban scale, providing a benchmark for what a mature local dental society can scale into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-dental-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus Dental Society